HESPERIA – A drug arrest early Tuesday led sheriff’s deputies to a trailer where a man was storing about a pound of mercury in bottles.

San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies arrested Gregg Knapp, 39, of Hesperia at Main and G Streets on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs. They searched a trailer in the 11900 block of Sixth Avenue where he and a teen girl reportedly were living.

“Inside the trailer they found two 2-liter bottles filled with mercury and they called fire and Hazmat to the location,” said sheriff’s spokeswoman Roxanne Walker.

The property also has a house in front of the trailer, but the proximity of the house was not known. Deputies called in fire and hazardous materials personnel at 1:15 a.m.

“County Hazmat came out to make sure there was no danger to anyone in the immediate area,” said county fire spokeswoman Tracey Martinez.

Fire officials said Knapp had been taking the mercury out of computer components, but it was not known what he planned to do with it.

Martinez said Knapp was given a citation for allegedly possessing the hazardous metal. The trailer was condemned.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposed mercury can evaporate and become and invisible, odorless toxic vapor, especially in rooms without proper ventilation. Excessive exposure may lead to respiratory failure, kidney problems and other health issues.